


Assurances

by Adazzle



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Mostly fluff w some angst, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, mentions of family therapy & recovering from trauma, parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:47:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29445789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adazzle/pseuds/Adazzle
Summary: Harry, and telling his family he loves them.
Relationships: Albus Severus Potter & Harry Potter, Harry Potter & James Sirius Potter, Harry Potter & Lily Luna Potter, Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley
Comments: 16
Kudos: 27
Collections: Love Languages Mini Fest





	Assurances

**Author's Note:**

> Note 1: n0pe to JKR. Trans rights!
> 
> Note 2: I don't own content
> 
> Note 3: Thank you to all the organizers. This is for prompt 7 (I tried to explore Harry learning how to parent after what he's gone through & as his kids grow up without being massively angsty)!
> 
> Note 4: can be CC compliant, doesn’t have to be.

Harry studied love languages the way he sometimes read case reports at work. Objectively, and from an outsider’s perspective. He jotted down observations and compartmentalized so it didn’t impact him. 

The mind healer he was seeing said that wasn’t enough. He needed to be actively invested in building the type of family he wished he had. “You can’t just know how people want to receive love. You have to reach out and be willing to receive it.” 

Harry knew how people around him gave and received love. Draco and Scorpius had rebuilt their relationship through quality time. Long walks and quiet nights and building a new house together-they had closed down the Manor and turned it into a nature sanctuary named after Astoria. Ron gave Hermione gifts. Somehow, he knew exactly what she wanted for her birthday or for Christmas. Same with Percy and Oliver. 

It seemed like the rest of the Weasleys expressed love through acts of service. The big dinners Molly cooked without fail, the quiet chores Arthur did in the morning before anyone else got up, the way George and Angelina switched off making their kids breakfast so the other could sleep in.

Teddy Lupin loved giving people hugs. He walked with Andromeda to visit his family’s graves in May, throwing an arm around her shoulders, or embracing Harry each Halloween and not letting go. Bill was less pleased with how often he hugged Victoire though.

Harry had always cooked for his family, even when he worked eighty hour weeks, because that’s what he knew how to do and he wanted to take care of them. He wasn’t sure how to say he loved them. Ginny had taken a long time to pry it out of him. It helped that her love language was also acts of service. And then it was easier when the kids were smaller, because they needed constant care and they knew Harry loved them because he was consistent and kind and they could wake him and Ginny up when they had nightmares.

It was harder when they were older, and they left dirty clothes in hampers and shouted at their parents when they set curfews and Harry just-didn’t know what to do.

“There’s a minimum of what to say.” The healer explained. “You should think about what your love language is, and what your kids’ are, but you should also think about what you want to be like as a parent of older children.” Harry nodded.

“I guess-I wished I had someone to talk to when I was a teenager, especially after Sirius died. And-I guess not a lot of grown-ups besides Molly, Arthur, and Minerva told me they cared about me. Or at least it felt that way.”

“That’s a good place to start.” His healer said. “So, how can you let your kids know they can talk to you about anything? And how can your kids know you care about them? Some of them can be through love languages, but they don't all have to be. Do you know about affirmations?”

Harry stayed at the Ministry late working on a research project involving the Muggle internet one day, and after Proudfoot left, typed into the Googler: Affirmations for your teenager.

He made it home just in time to help Ginny defrost the Spaghetti Bolognese he’d cooked last weekend in a flurry of meal-prepping.

The kids were going back to school for spring term soon, and he let the laughter and conversation wash over him, grateful to hear Al tease James and Lily poke fun at Teddy and Victoire’s engagement party. James was indignantly describing how his “Draught of Living Death did work, thank you very much Al,” when he jumped in with “I’m so very proud of you James. That’s a really complicated potion.”

Everyone stared at him. “Dad.” Al said flatly. “He didn’t put the gurdyroot in, dad. It exploded.” Harry panicked a bit. This was harder than he thought. It was easy when he was just telling a six year old their drawing was nice. “Yes, but he worked hard. And it is complicated.” 

“I don’t work hard, Dad. I’m just talented.” James replied. Al rolled his eyes but didn’t seem angry. “You make me very happy.” Harry tried awkwardly. Ginny patted his hand. “We have very talented children, even if their potions do explode,” she said, diffusing the tension and getting up to get the treacle tart.

The next morning, James had done the washing up and made breakfast when Harry got up. He hugged Harry easily and left to play quidditch. “I love you.” Harry called as he left. “You’re sappy, dad, but I love you too.” his son called back. Then he came back to hug Harry before dashing out the door.

Al and Lily were both late sleepers, so it was nearly lunchtime by the time his two younger children trodded into the kitchen, half-awake. Al took his toast back up to his room, grabbing a letter from Scorpius on the way, but Lily stayed and made more coffee-a latte for her and black coffee for him. “Do you always drink this much caffeine, Lil?”

Lily scoffed. “How can you not? Also, dad, you’re one to talk.” He laughed. “I know. It’s just odd. I love getting to see you grow up, and yet it feels like it’s going so fast.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Can we make a cheesecake? I love your desserts and I don’t have any plans today.”

They made a mint cheesecake and Harry thought about how much Lily loved to spend time with her family, and how grateful he was to be here, with all of them. With his family.

The next day, he was in the kitchen while Al was feeding the cats. Teenage Al was an enigma to Harry, and he so desperately wanted to understand. The tiny anxious boy who idolized Harry was now moody and evasive, easily upset, and always wanting to be out of the house.

“Al”, Harry said suddenly, urgently, thinking of the list of affirmations he found on the internets. “Al, I love being a father for you.” It’s hard for him to say. Why was it hard for him to say? It’s true. 

Al stared at him. “You ok, dad?” "Of course. I’ve just been talking to Healer Bankole about being a parent, and I want you to know I love you.” Al kept staring at him, then smiled weakly. “Thanks, Dad.” He seemed to be in a more upbeat mood for the rest of the day.

Something started to change for Harry, after that school break.

He kept telling his kids that he was proud of them, and he kept observing.

James was forward and tactile, embracing his parents and friends. He put up a front for a lot of people but he shamelessly hugged the people he loves and feels loved by. Harry hugged him more, watching for when he was having a tough day and might want to simply be close to someone.

Lily liked to spend time with her parents. She had plenty of friends, but she always made time to stay in and play Scrabble with him and Ginny on break, and she sometimes went to spend the afternoon unprompted with her grandparents because she missed them. Harry flooed her at school more often, just because he wanted to see her.

Al said little, but what he did say mattered. So Harry dropped his affirmations into letters to Al. He told Al he was grateful for him, that he was unique and wonderful, that he believed he could do anything.

The next time Al told him and Ginny that he felt different, the words small and hostile, barely drawn out by therapy sessions, Harry told him that nothing could ever make him stop loving him. “I’m not saying your feelings aren’t valid”, he managed, “But it doesn’t matter if you’re different or not. I’ll still love you. I’m sorry I haven’t always said that out loud, but I’ve always thought it. You-our family-is the best thing I have.” 

Al smiled. 

“James is right dad. You are sappy. I love you too. You love your family so much. It’s really cool.”

Harry ruffled his hair and made a pot of tea so they could talk more.


End file.
